In what was an even contest, both sides could have won it a lot earlier but it was the Geordies who took a crucial three points from the Barclays Premier League encounter.

The home side will feel it was a deserved victory having hit the woodwork twice and seeing an effort cleared off the line.

But Fulham, too, had their chances, most notably when Dimitar Berbatov’s header was brilliantly kept out by Newcastle United stopper Tim Krul.

Martin Jol made two enforced changes from the side that defeated Queens Park Rangers on Monday. Eyong Enoh was handed a full debut as he took the suspended Steve Sidwell’s place in the middle of the park, while Stanislav Manolev replaced Ashkan Dejagah following the winger’s early withdrawal against Rangers with an ankle injury.

The team in orange bossed possession in the opening stages and came close to breaking the deadlock with less than four minutes on the clock. Manolev held the ball up well down the right before laying it off to his compatriot Berbatov who drifted forwards before bending a shot mere inches over the bar with the outside of his right boot.

In what was proving to be a close contest between two even sides Newcastle were next to try their luck when Steven Taylor headed harmlessly over when he met Moussa Sissoko’s cross having stayed up following a corner on 11 minutes.

The Magpies again saw a header fly over the bar when Cisse connected with Danny Simpson’s cross on 16 minutes, moments before they were forced to replace Davide Santon with Vurnon Anita after the Italian pulled up with what looked like a hamstring strain.

Fulham were beginning to take a stranglehold on proceedings and what seemed like an eternal string of passes culminated in Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa almost putting Damien Duff’s cross into his own net on 24 minutes.

Our hosts responded with a wicked shot by Cisse three minutes later – luckily, though, the Senegal international’s effort didn’t quite have enough bend or dip to find the target.

That gave Newcastle momentum and it needed a brilliant last-ditch block by Brede Hangeland to deny Cisse shortly after. The striker’s effort was travelling after he’d rearranged his feet well having collected Taylor’s headed cutback, but the Whites Captain heroically threw himself in the way.

And we survived another scare on 32 minutes when a loose pass allowed Newcastle to break with Sylvain Marveaux. The ball spilled out to Cisse who hit the ball first time but high and wide over Mark Schwarzer’s crossbar.

A swift counter attack on 39 minutes saw Fulham come close to opening the scoring. John Arne Riise bombed forwards after collecting the ball in his own penalty area before handing over to Bryan Ruiz who fed Berbatov on the left. The Bulgarian played Ruiz in neatly but his shot was deflected away for a corner.

There was no respite for the Magpies, though, as it needed a brilliant save by Krul from the subsequent set-piece. After controlling the ball well, Manolev swivelled and poked an effort goalwards only for Krul to smother the effort impressively.

Sissoko was involved in the first two instances of note in the second half. First, his late challenge on Enoh led to the midfielder being replaced by Emmanuel Frimpong, before he was brought down himself by Giorgos Karagounis. Enoh’s withdrawal was especially unfortunate considering his assured display during the opening 45.

Fulham hearts were in mouths on 53 minutes when Anita thought he’d scored. The midfielder’s effort from range took a huge deflection off Frimpong to leave Schwarzer stranded – fortunately, the ball clipped the top of the bar before going over for a corner.

Newcastle were playing with more confidence in the second period and it required brave goalkeeping by Schwarzer on 58 minutes to snatch the ball from Cisse’s feet following good work down the left by Yoan Gouffran, before the Australian made another smart stop to keep Taylor’s shot out three minutes later.

The Fulham goal was living a charmed life as Newcastle came even closer on 64 minutes. First, Gouffran’s header was cleared off the line by Sascha Riether, and then Cisse’s follow up crashed against the post from a yard out.

The away side were not without their threat, though, and it required an incredible acrobatic save from Krul to tip Berbatov’s header over the bar on 68 minutes after he connected perfectly with Riise’s free-kick. The ball fell to the Norwegian from the subsequent corner but his first-time strike from 20 years rifled just wide of the post.

Alan Pardew then opted to shake things up with his frontline, replacing Gouffran with long-serving forward Shola Ameobi. And it was Ameobi who saw the next decent chance fall his way on 77 minutes when he nodded wide from Danny Simpson’s cross, despite being unmarked.

Both sides then made changes, with Manolev replaced by Hugo Rodallega for Fulham, and the Magpies introducing Adam Campbell in place of Simpson.

Rodallega – who scored the winning goal in the reverse fixture – immediately got in behind the Newcastle backline but was unable to get the ball under control once it had been chipped in to him.

Cisse thought he’d won it with two minutes remaining when he headed powerfully goalwards from Anita’s cross only to see Schwarzer make a fine sprawling save to deny him.

Riise then fouled his way into Kevin Friend’s notebook, before five minutes of added time were indicated.

Newcastle were doing all the pressing and eventually made the breakthrough. Yohan Cabaye’s scuffed shot found its way to Cisse's feet and he took one touch to flick it beyond the Fulham backline before firing past the exposed Schwarzer.

It was a gutting blow as the visitors had matched Newcastle throughout, but there was no time to search for an equaliser, as Fulham made the long trip home without any points.